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Josep Borrell, acting foreign minister, and his team reached the border between Colombia and Venezuela knowing that it is the scene of a serious humanitarian crisis. At the end of its journey, the future EU High Commissioner, who in Colombia is already called the chancellor of Europe, found it necessary to paraphrase a close friend to define as a "Dantesque reality" what he was seeing there . And is not for less.

The International Bridge between San Antonio (Venezuela) and Villa del Rosario (Colombia) has become the funnel of the national tragedy, a must for most of the more than 5 million Venezuelans that have spread throughout the region . The official figures are not even able to assume a crowd that does not stop fleeing the revolutionary collapse: 1.7 million in Colombia, 1 million in Peru, half a million in Ecuador, 400,000 road in Chile ...

The government took advantage of Borrell's trip to announce in his mouth that Spain will contribute 50 million euros to Venezuelan emigrants in Colombia, with which he not only intends to provide a "help that is certainly not enough", but also tries to encourage rest of the European countries facing the Conference to be held in Brussels on the 28th and 29th of this month. "We have searched every corner of the ministry's budget, it has absolute priority," said Borrell, who asked questions about the negotiations with Bogotá around the Spanish galleons refused to answer to emphasize his concern "for the living, not for the galleons. "

Millions of reasons are not lacking for the future chancellor after living the magnitude of the human disaster, but also the " extraordinary effort Colombia is making with the emigrants ." There was no lack of reproaches from Venezuelans on the bridge itself, as a group of people who even raised posters to "receive" the acting minister. Their banners shouted different messages ("Spain why you turn your back on us", "Borrell, ally of Maduro, traitor" and "Venezuelans demand military intervention") and in their words similar complaints were repeated because in the background very few glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel "We ask the government of Spain for a hard hand and to investigate that amount of plugs that are comfortably there, with that amount of money that has been stolen. All the people who pass through here suffer need. We ask the government to support us to solve our problems ", denounced EL MUNDO Víctor Pérez, leader of the social democrat AD in a border town.

Despite criticism, which also appeared in other parts of the tour, Borrell listened to the complaints in silence, thoughtful . Later, accompanied by Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo, he summed up the point of view of the Spanish government: "This is a humanitarian problem with political origins. We cannot wait to solve the political problem to help alleviate the humanitarian problem."

The Spanish delegation toured a health center for emigrants, the dependencies of the Spanish Red Cross, the Migration Zone of the Bridge and watched the coming and going of a border that in this part is used by 40,000 people every day . Among them, more than 5,000, adding two other bridges in Norte de Santander, stay in Colombia or continue on their way to other countries of the continent.

That was the goal of the 15-year-old Diorelvy family, the first patient Borrell greeted at the La Parada health center. At that time I was breastfeeding the tiny Dylan Andrés, born only 21 days ago thanks to Colombian attention. The rest of the Guerrero Hernández family waited outside. From the family heads, Crisbelys (35 years old) and Pablo (37), Dylan's grandparents, to the two uncles of the baby, 12 and 7 years old. Two adults, three children and a baby who threw themselves on the road in their flight from poverty, which threatened to swallow them all.

In his homeland, Pablo worked as a bus driver and Crisbelys managed to get into the sales networks of the famous CLAP bags , food subsidized by the government in the image and likeness of the Cuban ration book. Between the two they only got a few dollars a month, not even reselling bread on the street increased their income.

Thus came the inevitable hour: joining the diaspora a couple of months ago. During the previous seven months, Diorelvy was only attended once by doctors. Now all together survive in Cúcuta thanks to Colombian and international aid, like thousands and thousands scattered throughout the rest of the region.

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  • Colombia
  • Venezuela
  • Josep Borrell

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